How can you sound so confident? When you say it like that, it sounds so easy. [ This has to be because of what's in the story, but is it what I wrote or what Scratch wrote? I guess I have no way of knowing that, unless it's on a page somewhere. ] You might be able to fight it, but it might be able to kill you instead, and I couldn't- I won't let that happen.

[ Alan feels his hands curling as his fears start to rise, but he tries to push them back down again. Now isn't the time for him to panic, not when there's things he wants to say to Jesse. Not when he just wants to be with Jesse. ]

In a way, it's actually really simple. Start writing, making edits, changing what's been written... but it can't be too simple. It still has to fit with what's already there. If it doesn't, the story doesn't work anymore. It has to be exactly right.

[ And that, more than anything, is what causes Alan the most worry, the most stress. What if he can't get it exactly right? What if he does, and people end up hurt or killed because of him? He's doing his best to do damage control, but there's only so much that he can do.

A part of him wonders if he can really do this at all. ]

What happens if I can't figure it out? [ He knows what happens; he's not even sure why he's asking. Maybe he's asking in hopes that Jesse can reassure him somehow. Maybe she can stop the panic that's threatening to seize him before it gets too bad.

... All he seems to have is a bunch of maybes. ]